Still no consensus

EDMONTON - Only about one in three Alberta earth scientists and engineers believe the culprit behind climate change has been identified, a new poll reported today.

The expert jury is divided, with 26 per cent attributing global warming to human activity like burning fossil fuels and 27 per cent blaming other causes such as volcanoes, sunspots, earth crust movements and natural evolution of the planet.

A 99-per-cent majority believes the climate is changing. But 45 per cent blame both human and natural influences, and 68 per cent disagree with the popular statement that "the debate on the scientific causes of recent climate change is settled."

Reaction from the Heartland Institute.

"This is a ringing endorsement of the main theme of The Heartland Institute's conference," said Joseph Bast, president of The Heartland Institute. "There is no consensus on basic questions such as how much warming is occurring, how much of it is caused by human activity, or what future climate conditions will be. Those who claim the contrary are either misinformed or dishonest."

For more information about the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change, visit http://www.heartland.org/NewYork08/newyork08.cfm.